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THE NATIONAL BM OF MOTL. C. HA YRS, Tr csX F. G. TOED, Cashier.? Capital, 8250,000.Undivided Prouts } $110,000.Facilities of oar magnificent New Yanlt[containing 410 Safety-Look Boxes. Different Sizes are offered to our patrons andthe public at 93.00 to 910.00.por annum.taiPLANTERSLOAN ANDSAVINGSBANK.AUflUST.it, GA.Pays Ifitcroston Deposit?.AccountsSolicited.L. C. H AYN*,President.W. 0. WABDLAW,Cashier.THOS. J. ADAMS PROPRIETOR.EDGEFIELD, S. C.. WEDNESDAY. MARCH 28, 1900.VOL LXV. NO. 13AFTER TH- (After one or the lato battles In Matal, an <np among some rough bouldara upon a kopjeold man appeared to bo walting for death, auIt was ont in the ndn and the wind and the .groans \ -? , \- ;I tended the wounded, foe and friend:I thought with myself that tho very?tonesOf the grim veldt-side,lt they could, would bavo cried,"Doctor ! don't touch them; let death makoan end!"And presentir, propped by a boulder gray,A gray and"grizzled old Boer I ?saw;His whole right band bad been blownaway;But, quiet and calm,ile was reading a psalmFrom a blood-stained book of the.ancientlaw.IS ."?lake baste and help me," the old psalmran*,"Deliver me! haste to help me. Lord!Let those who seek my h rt to a mauBe patjto shame,*Tnat so Thy nameBe great upon all who trust Thy word..I Besieged by F! Oil I Ci< -"4 EXPERIENCE OF AWE WERE hunting for biggame among the BlackHills, and one day, whenthere were signs in thenip of a coming snowstorm, I lefu campon my own hook and wandered awayfor three or four milep. After an houror two.as I stood fasting beside a tree,a deer broke coyer in front of rae a uclonly a pistol shut away. Jtrwas a finebuck, and he walke 1 into the open nscool and unconcerned ns if hunter hadnever thirsted for his life. I ought tohave dropped him dead at that distance, but ho fell ut my fire, to getup and limp away, aud, believing himto be wounded mortally, I followedat my best pace. * The ground wasrough and covered with young eedarp,and, being a bit excited, I paid littleheec'. to what was nuder footCf a sudden I found myself falling,and, as I weut down, I dropped mygun to clutch at the nearest brunches.I went down 12 or 15 feet over theedge of a ravine, struck on my feet,and then plunged forward and broughtup on a ledge or shelf about four feetwide by ten feet loug. This shelfoverhung a depth so black and dismalthat I dared not wonder how fa'- downit was to the tiny stream flowing overthe rocks at the bottom. The ravinewas about 15 feet mide, and directlyopposite me, in a mass of rocks, wasan opening which I knew at first glanceto be tue den of some wild animal.* T did not take note of these thingsat once, for in the fall I had brokentwo ribs and been badly bruised, andwas almost unconscious for a quarterof au hour. When I rallied a bit Ifound a wall 15 or 20 feet high behindme^aud as for the ravine in front, Icorffd not have crossed or descendedinto it even had I not been injured. Ihad just taken in the situation whenthe sky grew dark,the wind swept upthe ravine with a long-drawn moan,and snowflakes whirled thickly aroundmy head. I could not tell at first howbadly I was hurt, as most of my bodyseemed to be asleep, and I naturallyhesitated^,to lind ont, rememberingthat I was miles from camp and contdexpect no help. I was lying quietand hoping the pain soon would become easier, when I got such a shockas nearly put my wits to sleep again.Directly in front of me, across theravine, coming <>ut of his den withgreat dignity, appeared the largestpanther I ever had seen. He stoodsnuffing the air and looking full atme, and when I realized how helplessI washings turned dark, nnd-I groanedin despair. It waa only a fair leap forthe beast across the ravine, and I expected him to make it at once and attack me;, but as the minutes passedaway and he still hesitated I began towonder over his action.-. He ?rnodto the left and trotted along>> over theground a distance of about r? ' feet.Then hf?.wheeled and passed the iVnby ?*v>Tit.the same distance the otherway. When he had gone over thisbeat two or three times I discoveredwhat was the matter. As he cametoward me I got a clear view, and sawthat he was stone blind. There wasa white film over each eye, and heeould not have so:n a tree in his path.A blind panther out for exerciseblind death trotting along in front ofme, so helpless that he could not havemade his eyes keep him from starvation. You have seen the panther confined in a cage, his limbs stiffened, histeeth broken and his savage naturetoned down bylong imprisonment andthe sight of humanity until he scarcely snarls at the cane thrust to stir himup. This ono, despite his misfortune,was lithe, supple, vigilant-a combination of strength and fierceness possessed only by the lion or the tiger.Disease or accident had blinded him,but he possessed every other powernature gives to the dreaded beast Instinct had taught to him the lay ofthe ground. He may have passedover it a thousand times. His movements were as regular as the pendulumof a clock. Just so far down theravine and return; just so far np theravine and return. Jn going down heavoided a stunted cedar growing in acrevice in the rocks; in going up heavoided a bush which was in the direct path. Grace, lifhenesss, strength,ferocity. The lower jaw was down,and I had a fine view of the fangswhich could rend the hide of a horse.At every move the terrible clawsclicked and grated-clawswhich wouldsink to the bono:of a man's leg andtheu etrip the quivering flesh off inbloody fragments. There was a curious fascination in watching the beastas he took his promenade. I forgot'my pains as I rejpiced^hrer his blindness. Had ho been -possessed of hisnatural vision-could he have but seenever so little-he would have sprungupon me, fastened those yellow fangsin my throat, and in 30 seconds allwould'bave been over. But bo. wasblind; and I hoped be could not discover my presence if I remainedoniet.Of a sudden there was an alarm.The snow waa falling more thickly,but the beast was so near that I couldE BATTLE.jld Boer was found ba lly wounded, proppedi aide ; Iris rifle was laid idly by bini, and thed was quietly reading his Bible]"Poor am L Lord; Thou knowpst how poor;This hand shall never bold sickie again.Lord, succor me!" groaned the gray-beardBoer;'.Tarrynot! comeTo lake me home!Lord, haste Thee, and help me out of thispain!"And thcre? as he prayed in the rain and thewind.To the the gray old Boer from the OrangeFree StateTho man who had fought for cattlo and kindWith his sons, ana sons1Sons less than theirgunsTo free bis land from the men of their hateThere oame to his call the God of the psalmThe Helpor of helpless after the fray,And his face grew pale with a wonderfulcalm,And the psalm-book dropped,And the blood-jet stopped,And the pain and the sorrow had passedaway.-II. D. Rawnsley.Finyon's Ledge. |~" 1 - frDISABLED JIUXTEB. &catch his every movement. As ?thewind whirled up lue ravine it createdan eddy, and from ono of the circlesof thia eddy he got my scent. Stopping midway in his promenade, hereared up and sniffed the air with savage growls, aud my heart boat so hardthat it seemed asu if hp^must surelyhear it and follow tho sound un*ii hishot breath was on my fae Sniffsnuff-growl! To the right, to theleft straight ahead.' After a minutebe lost the scent, nnd then he stoodstock still and uttered continuousgrowls as he waited to catch it again.No, not like n statue. His long tailswept the ground in a half circle, andbis ears worked swiftly back and forth.Blind death waiting to rend and biteand tear and kill! After a minute hegot the scent again. He reared up,whirled about three or four times asif on a pivot, and theu ho pointed fullat me. A tape line 15 feet long wouldhave covered the ground between usbetween where I lay helpless' and hehalf crouched for a spring. If the himcould be torn from those sightlesseyes, how they would glint and glitterand bla~e! There was something inthe sound of his low growling whichchilled my blood-a menace, a warning of what was toc?me, which forcedme to shut my eyes and utter a lastprayer. Why does he hesitate? Whatdelays his spring? He waited so longthat I argued it out that his blindnessreasoned against his ferocity. Hehad been blind for a year or two perhaps. He had never left the cavealune except to move np raid clownover that one rou!e, and be probablyfeared a full into the ravine it he ventured a spring. Hut he finally madeup his mind to try it if tho scent held.I could tell that by his continuousgrowls, by the ears laid fiat back onhis bend, as you have seen in au angrycat; by tho click of bis claws on thoflinty rock as he sought, a foothold forti spring. As he was or. tho point oftaking the leap the capricious breezeplayed him a trick. He suddenly losttho scent and walked slowly down thoshelf to pick ;t up again, perhaps reasoning that I nacl moved my position.Ten feet to the right he got it, andwith a tierce snarl ho crouched audmado the leap.Did the beast know tho lay of theground before losiug bis eyesight, orwas it the subtle instinct given to thefeline tribe? It was a clear leap of15 feet-maybe a foot or two more.Only at that spot could he strike theshelf on which I stood. H? rose inthe air like a bird taking flight, described a graceful half-curve in theair, and landed so lightly that I feltrather than Leard him. He was tenfeet away from me, and he reared upand snuffed at tho air in every direction. Up to that instant my brokenribs ha'd given no pain. All of a sudden it seemed as if knives were cuttinginto the flesh, and I had to clenoh myhands and shut my teeth bard to prevent a scream from passing my lips.But for the wiud and the snow the. |beast must have got my scent so closeat hand. There was such a swirl thathe was at fault, aud he did not walkalong the ledge. On the contrary,afterabout two minutos, he leaped backacross the ravine and disappeared intohis den. Then, with : many a groanand half-suppressed ejaculation, ' Idrew myself back until I restedagainst the cliff. I knew that myribs were broken, and that unless discovered by accident I could neverleave that ledge alive. It certainlyhad set in for a snowstorm, and it tookonly a few moments almost to hide mefrom sight under the white mantle.This was my salvation again. As thepain made me half unconscious, a fullgrown female panther, followed by acub which may have been a year old,scrambled down the rocks on the opposite side of the ravine to the den ofthe blind beast Some taint of mypresence must have been in tiie air,even though so faint they could notlocate me. They snarled in anger andsniffed at the ak, and it seemed to meas if both looked; /directly at me forseveral seconda If they did so I wasso buried under the snow that theyfailed to make out what sort of an object 1 was. They finally turned anddisappeared in the cave, but were outof sight only a momeirt? When theyreappeared tho blind panther was withthem, and the three scrambled up therocks and disappeared in the forest.There had been a killing somewhere,and they had come to conduct him tothe feast. Perhaps they brought tohim food now and then, but ho musthave had to go with them for water.It mattered littlo to me whether thepanthers went or remained. Had Ibeen free from injury I believe I couldhave made my way up the cliff, thoughit was a dangerous climb, but withbroken ribs. I could do nothing butwait. Would they set out in searchwhen I did not return to camp atdark? Of what use, as the fallingsnow had blotted out my trail untilthe keenest bloodhound would havebeen baffled? It was 1 o'clock o! aNovemler day when I fell over thecliff. Had it been a cold day I shouldbave frozen to death on that exposedspot within an honr. Fortunately forme it was scarcely freezing weather,and the pain was so groat that Inever minded the cold.I was waitiug for I know not whatwhen the end of a strong bark ropewith a noose in it suddenly was letdown in front of my eyes. No onehad come in search of me. Peter, ourIndian guido, had discovered the panther den the day beforo.and bal comeback on this day in hope of getting ashot. Indian like, he had taken aclose survey of things v bile waiting,and aftor a time had discovered mo onthe shelf below. Few men wouldhave tried what he did. As soon asI had slipped the noose over my*8honlders and drawn it tight he beganpulling, and tbongH I weighed 15pounds more than he did he finallysucceeded in landing me on the edgeof the cliff. The rough urage I received made me faint away, and itwas while I was unconscious i hat thothree panthers returned. As theyscrambled down the rocks aud stoodfor a moment the Indian fired andkilled the female. She dropped deadin her tracks, and he fired again andkilled the cub.Then.something like a tragedy occurred. The blind panther could havesaved himself. In fact, he did dashinto the ?ave, but, as if realizing thatthose h. upended on for food anddrink wore dead, and that withoutthem he must pe-ish, ho reappeared,sniffed at their bodies, and then, witha scream in which there was more lameut than auger, be leaped into theravine and vanished into ibe darknessto be mashe 1 to a pu'p on the rocksbelow.FACTS ABOUT SARDINES.The Grrnter Tart of J lil? Country's ConRump! ion Now Pnoti tl Hore.Formerly the sardines consumed inthis country were all imported fromFrance; now about three quarters ofthe sardines eaten iu the United Statesare put up here, the chief centre ofthe sardine industry in tho UnitedStates being the eastern coast ofMaine, though so no sardines are nowput np on tho coast of CaliforniaThe packing of sardines in this country wa" begtiu about thirty-five yearsago. Thousand* of people now findemployment in one pa:"t aud anotherof tho work iu catching fish,iu makingcans, and in eau n in g n:ul packing audmarketing and so on.Sardines are put up iu greater variety than formerly, there being nowadays sardines packed in tomato sance,sardines in mustard, spiced sardinos,and so ou; bnt the great bulk of sardines, both imported and d >mestir,are still put np iu oil. Sardines aroput up al*o in a greater variety ofpackages than formerly; there beingfor example various sizes and shapes. of oval tins, and some French sardinesare imported in glass; but as the greatbulk of all sardines are sill put upiu oil so the gro.it bulk of them arestill put up in the familiar flat boxe*,the great majority of these being ofthe sizes known as halves and quarters, aud far the greater number oftheso being in quarters. Sardinesare packed IOU tins in a case, and theconsumption of mardine* iu this couutry is roughly estima!el at from amillion and a half to two million casesannually.Like canned goodp of every description, sardines aro cheaper now thanthey formerly were, and Americansardines are sold for less than the importe!. American sardines aro nowexported from this country to theWest Indies aud to South America.-New York Sun.. QUAINT AND CURIOUS.A novel way of illuminating a railway tunnel has been devised in Paris.Retie tors throw the light from manyelectric lamps 16 feet above the railsto the sid'?s of the tunnel, where it isagain refected by burnished tin, asoft and agreeable light. The trainsautomatically tnru the current on andoff in entering and lt nving the tunnel.One of the most remarkable lakeson the earth's sui fuco is situated ntTar Point, ou tba Island of Trinidad,and bears tho suggestive uamo of Pitchlake. At first view tho surface of the"lake, which is not a luke," gives onetho impression that it is a large bodyof placid water, but a closer examination proves it to 1 e a vast plain covered with hard and hardening vjitch.Somo years ago the dwellers of CapeCod saw a remarkable sight-a partyof meu going fishin o-i horseback.A largo school of black fish had runin shore, and to catoh them the menmounted their horses, rode out intothe shallow water and drove the demoralized tish up higher and higheruntil the beach was strewn with them.The fishermen made big profits on thiscatch.Professor Hutchinson, F. R. S.,reports the caso of a lady who couldnot take tea because it made her feeticy cold and wet with perspiration.She thought that the soles were chieflyaffected, and that the hands were alsomade cold, but not so markedly as thefeet. Mr. Hutchinson had long beenfamiliar with the fact that tea madethe feet of some persons cold, but didHot know that cold perspiration attended it. He believed the coldnessto be caused by contraction of thearteries, inasmuch as the feet shrank.In China tho natives train certainbirds to catch fish for them. The bird?are taught to sit on tho edge of a boat,each bird having a ring about its neck,and when a school of tish are seenthey are released and immediatelybegin to fish. Tho speed with whichthose birds move under water ?3 remarkable, aud they destroy largenumbers of fish. One of the moslremarkable methods of fishing is seenin the Hawaiian Islands, where mengo under water, not in hand, and,clinging to tho rocks, scoop up thefish. This requires much endurance.Some of these fishermen, it is said,remain under water a minute and shalf at a time.A pair of gloves passes througlnearly " 200 hands from the women!that the skin leaves the drosser'fbonds till the time when the glovecare purchased. ...I THE NATIVEPK _^ BY ENSIGN C. LWHEN, under the'mosfc amusingly opera-bouffe condjr>.tions ever experienced?ifcmodern warfare, the United States steamship Charleston, onJune 20, 1898, captured the beautifulbut isolated and sleepy old Spauisbisland oolony of Guam in tho westeruPacific, the place was governed by alieutenant-colonel of tho Spanish armyp,Don Juan Marina, supported by Astaff of four army and one naval ofilcers, and a garrison of fifty-fourA FAMILY GROUP jSpanish soldiers, with a native militiaof fifty-four men, these latter being;armed with old Remington rifles, andorganized as artillery crews for . fourold brass field-gnus.Upox the departure of the Charlestonthe Spanish officers and soldiers wereremoved, and the island was left nominally in charge cf its leading citizensand the nativo soldiery.Daring all this time the native troopshave maintained their organizationand discipline, keeping their clothesaud equipments clean and in order,posting their sentries, and carryingTHE CHURCH AND BELFRY AT AGANA.ont their routine-all in a most praiseworthy manner. They are a soldierly,intelligent body of men, and will undoubtedly bo a valuablo auxiliary tothe new marine garrison that has arrived on the United States steamshipYosemite. Their best sphere of usefulness would be as a police force andns rural guards in the outlying villages, thus relieving tho marines ofthis isolated and monotonous duty.The natives of Guam are in pleasingcontrast to the Filipinos. Thoughoriginally, in great part, from thesame stock, they have inherited all ofthe virtues and few of the vices ofthese people. There is in the blood. of these people a considerable proportion of Spanish, South American, and Americau stock, the lastbeing due to the whaling-vesselsthat used to frequent the island inlarge numbers to obtain fresh wateiand to recuperate their crews. It isnot at all unusual to hear Englishspoken, even in the interior of theisland, and, in fact, it is quite ascommon as Spanish. In personal appearance the natives resemble theFilipinos, though of a greater statureand more robust, while the hair is notso bristling and porcupine-like, andbrown or oven blond hair is occasional evidence of the mixture ofraces. The intelligence, as indicatedby their faces, is much more markedthan iu tho natives of the Philippines.The women, when young, have wellrTHE NATIVE TBI rounded fignros-hnd an excellent enrI riage, which rodeoms to a groat exI tent their shortness of statnre andi consequent teudeucy to dumpiness.? In my long walks about Agana I haveI noticed many that wore very comelyand some that were deoidedly pretty.As they age they do not become nnduly fat, or later on repulsively haggard, as is the case with so manytropical natives.Their dress is neat and clean, andin their personal habit3 they are modest and tidy. For the women the costume is a short chemise, or jacket,writh low neck and short sleeves. This?a made of white material of varyingdegrees of fineness. For more ceremonial occasions it is embroideredaround the neck and upon the sleeves,and is sometimes bordered with lace.It fits closely to the stayloss figure.? h ; -'''B Tir ?fi1 1 :r>iP*41 '- iLT AG ANA, GUAM.Upon occasions of tho greatest importance- au elaborate jacket of thebeautiful and ..expensive juna cloth,with'flowing sleeves dud'wide collar,irWfi?irsSwSP 'thisis worn a skirt of vari-colored calicoor cotton stnff, generally of some ibright hue. The feet are usually bav?j, ismall heelless slippers of coloredleather being occasionally seen. Thehair is drawn back from the foreheadin a knot, aud hats are never worn.In church a white cloth is worn as aveil over tho head.The men dress simply and comfort- iably, generally in suits of white drill- !ing, such as are common all through 1tho East. Tho Filipino custom of jwearing a white shirt with long and Iflowing tail.4 is iii favor among tho Ipoorer natives.Ono of the first things evident tons 'is the decided antipathy of the natives 1for the Filipinos. There are few of themupon the island, and theso are not at 'all regarded with favor. lu truth, 1they seem to be quite as unruly hereas they are in their home, and their 1qualities make them about tho ouly 'disturbing elemeut iu this peaceful, 1well-disposed people. The only pris- joner in the jail of the place was auugiy-lookiug Filipino, who had mur- 1dered a German trader about a year 'ago, and was sentenced to a long 'term pf confinement.The population of Guam is about '7000, mostly of tho Malay type. Tho 1principal town is Agana, with 5475 'inhabitants. There aro several Span- 1ish families worth from S20.000 to 1$50,000.GOVERNOR'S HOUSE, AGANA.i-1 - jAs to the mental and moral charaoter- <istics of our new citizens, all that we.know BO far is of a favorable nature. <They are cleanly, intelligent and jpeaceable. The great majority ofthem can read aud write, aud overyvillage bas its school for instructionin the elementary branches. Theyare modest and very courteous in their Ideportment, and invariably touch itheir hats to us when we pass them, :and are most generous to visitors.Ofos OF QUASI._The worst trait, however, of thotizen of Guam is indolence. Natureso provident, and BO warm audspiling here, that little effort is required to support life aud provideBpstenancc for the family. To pay anative by the day or in advance is aUtal error indeed, for be will a orknhtil he has aooumulated ? few dollars, then bny his wife a new skirt,lay iu a supply of canned goods at theBtore, some tobacco and tuba (cocoanut rum), and then retire to a life ofaffluent case for as many mouths asthe mouey and supplies hold ont.Intoxication ie very rare. Men andwomen alike smoko cigars and pipes,and nearly every one has the unsightly habit of chewing the betel-nut.The native cigar is an object of wonderto the new-comer. It is made from thewhole leaf of theuative tobacco, whichis of most excellent flavor, bnt verystrong aud green, rolled into a cylinder about eight inches long, andwound about with, threads of libro tokeep it from unwrapping.With the example of American energy aud indnstry; with advanced education, and with the influences ofprogress; with a strong and just government and purified religious example and instruction-there opeus bofore the inhabitant of Guam a mostpromising future; and before us,whoseduty it is to plaut here a modol colony, there lies a most interesting experience and labor, of the ultimatesuccess of which there eau bs no possible doubt.Captain Eicbnrd P. Leary, of theUnited States Navy, the naval Governor of the islaud, 'is a Baltimcreanaud a brother of Captain Peter Leary,Jr., of the Fourth United States Artillery, now at Fort Mc Henry. Captain Leary has had a long and honorable service in the navy. Severalyears ago the Legislature of Marylandpresented him with a gold medal forhis courageous service to tho Government during tho Samoan dispute. Atthat time ha was in command of thoAmerican man-of-war Adams. CapLeary convoyed the New Orleans,purchased from Brazil, to this country. This ship was used during thowar with Spain as a patrol for the NewEngland coast. Although he did notCAPTAIN RICHARD P. LEAKY, NAVALGOVERNOR*"^? GUAM.rio ranch damage to the Spaniards,Captain Leary's vessel had tho distinction of being the last Americanboat to be fired upou.New?bi>3'.-i in New York City.There are now a number of NewJTork newsboys who, instead of walking from point to point, station themselves ab some spot, and instead ofwalking about, hold that spot. Ajood illustration ot this is seen in theDity Hall park in the selling of afternoon papers to people going home toBrooklyn over the bridge, or uptownin Manhattan or the Bronx by way ofthe elevated railroad from the CityHall station. Many of these boysiiave regular customers who buy fromthem regularly.Perhaps the latest development ofspecialization in selling newspapers inthe street is at the doors of big wholesale houses down town. This is notnew, but is doue more thau before.The boy takes his station outside theloor, and if he succeeds he comes toliave regular customers, who buy asdiey leave ou their way home. Theboy knows their paper and whips it:ut as they come along, and he maylo better concentrating his attentionau this stream, so to speak, than hewould fishing for a chance fish to be;aken betweeu corners pre-empted bypenders making it their business tostand day after day on tho same spot.Information Wanton1.A small boy living in Mt. Salem,Mich., was asking his father quesions the other night."Pa," ho said, "what is dehorning?"Father-"Why, it's cutting the.liorns off cattle."Boy (after reflecting)-"Pa, what isdetailing?"Father (growing irritated)-"Whatin tho world are you asking so manyju estions for?"Boy-"Well, I saw in tho paper theathor day, where General Buller detailed a whole squad of his men."Detroit Freo Press.Americans Live Well.An American spends on au average$>i) a year on food, a Frenchman $48,a German $45, a Spaniard $33, an Italian $24, and ? Bussian $40. TheAmerican eats 109 pounds of meat ayear, the Frenchman eighty-sevenpounds, the German sixty-four pounds,the Italian twenty-eight pounds andthe Bussian fifty-one pounds. Ofbread the American consumes 380pounds, the Frenchman 510 pounds,the German 560 pounds, the Spaniard180 pounds, the Italian 400 poundsand the Bussian G55 pounds.Playing With the Bov?.A small schoolboy who had beensent homo by his teacher because hissisters bad the measles was noticed bythat teacher at tho next rocess playingwith tho other childrou on tho schoolground.. "Johnny, didn't I toll yon not tocome to school while your sisters hadtho measles?"1 "Yes; but I am not going to school.I only came to play with the boys before it begins."-Commercial Tribune.The Worst or All.Willie-"Just see my new hobbyautomobile."Jack-"That's nothing! Look atthis bladeless knife and triggerlessrifle."Alice-"But yon should see mypointless story-book. What have yougot, papa?"Papa-"A penniless puree."-Life. 1COOD WATER FROM TREES.W^y Woodsmen In th? Soni h Al unjaCurry un Auger In Their Kit.In many sections of the forest landsof the south during the dry seasons a.man may walk for miles without finding a stream of water or a spring bywhich to quench his thirst. If, however, he ie au experienced hunter andwoodsman, he will not have, to drinkwater from the stagnant pools in orderto keep life in his body.Queer as it may ^eem, an experienced mau can hunt for days throughsuch dry tracts and yet experience noinconvenience on account of the lackof water. Nature has provided ameans which is only known to the initiated. Every old huntsman carrieswith him, when goiug on a long hunt,a small auger, by which he eau securea refreshing drink and water to cookwith at any momentA cottonwood tree or a willow is thewell which the wily huntsman taps.He examines each tree until ho findsono that has what a woodsman calls a"vein." It is simply an attenuatedprotuberance. By boring into this"vein" a stream of clear water willflow out. It is not sap, but clear,purewater. Tho huntsmen say that thewater is better than the average to behad from the ordinary wella. Thereis no sweetish taste about it, but itha" a strong flavor of sulphur, and isslightly carbnoated.The reason for this phenomenoncannot easily be explained, but thata supply of water can bo contained ina tree is not so surprising. The factof its flowing is the wonderful feature,showing that it must be under pressure, or, in other words, that there ismore at the source of the supply.When it is considered that the treesfurnish the water iu the dry season,and that the ground is literally baked,it is the more remarkable, especiallywhen the roots of the trees do not extend to any great depth into theground.Owjnr the fact that water can beobtained oy tapping cottonwood andwillow trees, very peculiar testimonywas recently heard in a case in thefederal court here. About 20 yearsago, at a certain point on the Mississippi river, one of the islands whichwas formed by the channel forking andsurrounding a large tract of land wasdeserted by the stream on tho Tennessee side. Years afterward this landwas claimed by the man .0 ownedproperty in Tennessee adjoining theformer island. His claim was that theisland had been washed away, andthat the present land was formed byaccretion.The former owner, to prove that theland had been washed away, sawed offthe top of a cottonwood stump thatwas on the island and showed that itcontained 56 circles, or rings, beginning nt th? heart. His statement wasthat a ring was formed in the treee*ery year, hence the tree was a sapling 55years ago,and was cons?qnently growing there 36 years before theisland became a part of Tennessee.In order to prove that a ring wasformed every year he testified thatwhile hunting, about 20 miles fromthat place in 1865, he had, tapped acottonwood tree for water, aud hadput a plug in the hole afterward tokeep the water from wasting. Histheory was that the tree in its growthwould have covered up the plug andthat the number of rings from thisplug to the bark of the tree would be, inthe year 180!', 34,showing that a ringhad been formed for every one of the34 years it had been imbedded in thewood.The tree was found and sawed up.The plug was discovered, and was distant from the outside of the tree exactly 34 rings.Although such testimony would notbe doubted by a woodsman, it was notreceived as evidence by the courtTho Strantro Thins;? We Hear.The car was very crowded. Justbeside the woman sat a very prettygirl and hanging to n strap was a verynice young man, and since everythingwas in such close quarters, the woman had no choico but to play thepart of eavesdropper. And this iswhat she heard:"How ia ev? rything out in BeckyHeights now?" asked the youug mau."lt's so dull," auswered the youngwoman. "You've no idea how dull itis. I'\e been wantiug lo come intotown to visit ?nsie, but they wou't letme.""Why not?" asked the man."I don't know," she said. "Goodness knows they're anxious enoughto get me married off. I should thinkthey'd be only too glad to have mecome.""Would you marry?" The youngmau seemed partial to questions."Would I marry?" she repeated."Yes, indeed I vould.""But why don't you?" came another question."Because nobody asks me. I willmarry just the first mau who wantsme," she said innocently."Well, will yon have me?" ho said.Silence for a moment, and concealed anxiety on tho part of the listener."Will you have me? I'll come outwith the ring tonight," he said."Do you know what my father andmother would say?" she said suddenly."No, what?"" 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow.' "Khaki for Uniform?.I think it was in the year 1885 thatLord Boberts, who had just takenover the office of commander-in-chiefin India, took up the question of khakiin the same energetic manner in whichhe went iuto every military question.He was early convinced of the suitability of this color for nniforms in thefield, and he wont further-he issuedan order to have the whole equipmentof field and mountain batteries, including even the wheels and gunsthemselves, painted khaki. This wasa striking chango from the dark colorthey had previously been painted, audwhich presented such a contrast to theusual surroundings of au Indian landscape. The rage for khaki at thattime was no general that some witproposed that all horses should bepainted khaki before being sent onservice. An excellent idea, bnt unfortunately unpractical till some onecan manage to breed out a khakihorse. -Blackwood.A SONG OF A BUTTON.With fingers awkward and big(Long past the hour for bed),A. mere mon handles a needle keenWhich lt's taken him hours to threadWork ! Work! Work!For work he is truly a glutton.'T?3 his first attempt-yet he does norshirkHe is trying to sow on a button.With fingers weary and worn(The dawn is rising red).? mere man toils in a piteous way,Still plying bis needle and threadPrick ! Prick! Prick!And he murmurs (I think) "Tut ! Tut !" onThe needle invading his fingernails quick.As it comes with a jerk through the button.With fingers ragged and sore(The sun shines bright o'erhead),A mere man wearily puts awayHis troublesome needle and threadStitoh! Stitch! Stitch!He has struggled with eyes hidf shut on,Cut bis spirits are yards above concertpitonBy Jove, he has sewn on a button !-The Were Man, in Punch.HUMOROUS.Ida-She keeps her age well, doesn'tshe? May-Yes; she can't get rid ofit."What made yon so long gettingready?" "I had lost the combinationand couldn't get my earmuffs on.""What are you going to call yournew office building?" "I think ?1Icall it the 'Serial,' on aocount of itscontinued stories.""How much is -no's new husbandworth?" "Oh, I suppose she couldrealize $5000 on h;m if she could gethim killed by the cars.""I say, Pat, what are you about?Sweeping out the room?" "No," unswered Pat; "I'm sweepiu' out thedirt, and lea vin' the room.""I would have you to know.feilow," 'said Charlie van Beet, "that I camedown from the real Knickerbockerstock." "It's a terrible come-down,"said the man.The feage spoke words of wisdom deep,And evory one seemed fast asleep.He chanced to make n slight mistake,And every one was wide uwuko."I believe that Goodlnck has gotan increase of salary. What was itfor-extra work?" "Yes ! Ho alwayslistens when the boss teils the smartthings bis kid says."Gentleman (indignantly)-When Ibought this dog you said he was splendid for rats. Why, he wouldn't touchthem. Dog Dealer-Well, ain't thatsplendid for the rats?Bill-They say that looking toolong at one object hurts the eyesightJill-I guess that's right. ? know ifyou say, "Here'a looking at yon" too 'many times it seems to have a badeffect on the eyes."It must have taken lots of nervefor him to laugh and joke with thedoctors while they were taking hisleg off at the knee. Didn't he seemexcited?" "Well, I thonght he talked .in rather a disjointed manner.", "Awfully good joke on young Splints,isn't it?" "Didn't hear it" "Hesized up a man for appendicitis, andfavored him with a hasty operation. ""What's the joke? Man's dead?""Man's dead all right enough, butthat ain't the joke. They lound outat the autopsy that he was born without any appendix."Wileri? Americans Are Tracking."I have just returned from a livemonths' visit to Europe," contiuuedMr. Merrell, "aud while I was iuGermauy I had occasion to make abusiness trip to the little towu ofEsseugen, iu one of the northernprovinces. Essengen is a great centrefor the manufacture of belladonna,and I went there to place a good-sizedorder, but neither at tho depot nor atthe hotel could I ?ud a soul whospoke English. I was ordering dinner by signs and wondering whetherI could lind my May about town,wheu a youug man walked in and introduced himself as a representativeof the drug house I wished to visitHe spoke faultless English, and I sawat once that he was thoroughly familiar with English trade methods. Wesoon came to an understanding, and Icomplimented him upon his commnudof the language. He said very modestly that it was nothing; that he hadspent four years in one of tho largestdrug houses of London, four yearswith a similar establishment iu Parisand three years with auother at Borne-all 'preparing himself for the business. ' In other words, he could conduct a commercial transaction withease in English, French, Italian or'German. 1 looked at him in amazement, and he assured mc that therewas nothing phenomenal about hisaccomplishments - that three lan-*guages were spoken by all wellequipped clerks and four by many. Imention the incident to illustratewhat manner of men are used by foreign nations to cater to their exporttrade. That is one of the reasonswhy we have had such small successiu gaining a foothold in the LatinAmerican markets. We lack solicitorswith education sufficiently cosmopolitan to do busiuess with the people ofthose countries. When our youngmen work a couple of years in a commercial establishment they expect tobecome junior partners."-New Orleans Times-Democrat.Can't Abbreviate 1900."Had you thought of one thing?"said the correspondence clerk."There's a whole lot of people, thousands of them writing letters withoutprinted or engraved letter heads, whoabbreviate the year in the date line;writing, for instance, instead 1890, '99.Now what will they do with 1900?They certainly can't abbreviate thatWhen we strike 1901 it will be alli ight again, then they can write Jau.1, '01; but '00 wouldn't mean anything, and there's nothing to do butto write the year out"This will be done throughout theyear 1900 many millions of times; asa matter of sober fact the multitudinous writing of these two cipherswill involve the loss iu the aggregateof much time, and the using up ofthousands of pens and much ink.But it's an ill wind that blows nobodygood. Tho writers' loss, here, is theiuk makers' and the pou manufacturers' gain; and for that matter it'sjust so with everything; things go onjust about the same, whatever happens."-New York Sun.The largest sewing machine in theworld is in operation in Leeds, England. It weighs 6500 pounds, andsews cotton belting.